EAGER: Collaborative Research: Development of an Energy-Harvesting Real-time Under-ice Monitoring System in the Arctic Ocean

北极拥有约400万人口，包括各种不同的文化和每年约2300亿美元的经济价值。随着全球对气候变化、能源、淡水供应和可持续经济增长的关注，北极引发了紧张的研究和公众的兴趣。迫切需要国际社会努力建立持续的北极观测系统，特别是通过近乎实时的数据传输对北冰洋进行长期监测。恶劣和偏远的条件制约了全年观测点，这给持续的北极观测带来了巨大的后勤挑战和能源需求。此外，使用底部锚定的固定平台对北冰洋的监测受到部署的传感器和北极操作员之间缺乏实时通信的限制。该项目的最终目标是开发新的能源收集和通信解决方案，以便在北冰洋建立实时冰下监测系统是可行的。这个急切的项目测试了解决三个关键挑战的能力，包括通过能源收集实现可持续电力供应、在海冰下进行近实时数据通信以及在恶劣环境条件下的生存能力。具体地说，该项目旨在开发利用两级扩散器增强型涡轮机和新型横向通量发生器获取超低速洋流能量的新技术。收获的能量将用于支持传感器，并通过海冰为新型实时通信系统提供动力。建议的通信系统采用了一种新颖的天线设计，克服了海水对无线电波的衰减影响，并创造性地利用卫星协议来确保冰下通信单元可以将观测数据传输到卫星。该项目还探索了增强冰下监测系统生存能力的技术，如坚固的材料选择和冰脊/龙骨探测和避免系统，并在K-12和博士生中扩大北极研究的科学和工程教育，重点是多样性，包括女性和代表性不足的学生。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The Arctic is home to some four million people comprising a diverse range of cultures and an economy worth about $230 billion annually. With global concerns spanning climate change, energy resources, freshwater supplies, and sustainable economic growth, the Arctic has sparked intense research and public interest. International efforts to establish sustained Arctic observing systems, especially for long-term Arctic Ocean monitoring with near-real-time data transfer, are urgently needed. The harsh and remote conditions constraining year-round observation sites present significant logistical challenges and energy needs for sustained Arctic observations. In addition, monitoring of the Arctic Ocean using bottom-anchored stationary platforms is limited by a lack of real-time communication between the sensors deployed and Arctic operators. The ultimate goal of this project is to develop new energy harvesting and communication solutions so that it is feasible to have a real-time under-ice monitoring system in the Arctic Ocean. This EAGER project tests the capacity to address three key challenges, including sustainable power supply through energy harvesting, near-real-time data communication under the sea ice, and survivability under harsh environmental conditions. Specifically, the project aims to develop novel techniques to harvest ultra-low-speed oceanic current energy using a two-level diffuser augmented turbine and a novel transverse flux generator. The harvested energy will be used to support sensors and power a novel real-time communication system through the sea ice. The proposed communication system adopts a novel antenna design that overcomes seawater attenuation effects on radio waves and creatively leverages satellite protocols to ensure the under-ice communication unit can transmit observational data to satellites. The project also explores techniques to enhance the survivability of the under-ice monitoring system, such as robust material choice and ice ridge/keel detection and avoidance systems and extends science and engineering education among K-12 and PhD-level students in Arctic research with an emphasis on diversity including female and underrepresented students.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.